Toy vehicle simulating an airplane



Oct. 24, 1961 J. BUTTACAVOLE ETAL 3,005,6 9

TOY VEHICLE SIMULATING AN AIRPLANE Filed March 24, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iii IN VEN TORS ATTX Oct. 24, 1961 J. BUTTACAVOLE EI'AL 3,005,

TOY VEHICLE SIMULATING AN AIRPLANE Filed March 24, 1960 2 heets-Sheet 2 L l 55 6 IF- 6 2 V 38 J T INVENTORJ LUU/SJBU 772164 VOLE L 00/5 De GEORGE United States Patent 3,005,639 TOY VEHICLE SIMULATING AN AIRPLANE Louis J. Buttacavole, Jersey City, NJ. (1412 85th St, North Bergen, N.J.), and Louis De George, Long Beach, Calif. (11 Cottage St., Jersey City, NJ.)

Filed Mar. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 17,358 6 Claims. (Cl. 2801.12)

This invention relates to a toy vehicle, and an object of the invention is to provide such a vehicle with an airplane fuselage mounted on its frame so as to be realistically movable in simulation of the banking, corresponding directional steering, diving and rising characteristics present in aircraft, and all of which movements being responsive to a simulated conventional control stick.

Further objects reside in simplicity of construction, compactness and easy accessibility to the cockpit seat.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a toy vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the same showing the fuselage in an intermediate or neutral position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view, partly in elevation, on line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on line 5--5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view on line 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a similar view on line 77 of FIG. 5.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 8--8 of FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the toy vehicle comprises a rigid frame 10 which is relatively narrow forwardly and includes an inclined, bifurcated, relatively short, rear part 11. Spanning the rear part 11 and journaled at either end therein, is a horizontal axle 12 having a wheel 13 which is suitably secured to one end thereof, and another wheel 14 which is loosely attached for independent rotation on the other end of the axle. This arrangement compensates for the usual differential movement of such rear wheels during turning movements of the vehicle when being driven manually, or with power otherwise applied to axle 12.

Frame 10 includes an upright member 15 which is secured to and rises from the rear part 11. At the forward end of the frame and forming a part thereof, is a vertical bearing member through which extends a steering post 21, shouldered at 22 and having a bevel gear 23 secured to it at its upper terminal. The post 21 has a bifurcated lower end 24 within which a steering wheel 25 is rotatably mounted.

A part 26 of bearing member 20, shown as attached thereto forwardly by bolts 27, extends upwardly, and a rocking member which may be in the form of a shaft 28, is journaled at its forward end on part 26, and at its rear end in upright member 15. Shaft 28 has a bevel sector gear 29 secured to it which meshes with gear 23.

An airplane fuselage 30', including wings forming a part thereof, is yieldably supported on the rear end of shaft 28 for pivotal movement relative thereto vertically, by means of a strut or angle bar 31 having a central boss 32 which may be integral therewith or suitably attached thereto. The rear end of shaft 28 is secured to boss 32, such as by a drive fit, and so that when shaft 28 is rocked in a manner to be described, strut 31 will be likewise rocked. Strut 31 is yieldably connected at its outer ends 7 3,905,639 Patented Oct. 24, 1961 to the adjacent opposite sides of fuselage 30. For this purpose short angle irons 35 are respectively attached to opposite sides of fuselage 30, as by welding their outer angular ends 36 thereto, and so that their other ends 37 will extend inwardly and be oppositely aligned transversely. Ends 37 are apertured to loosely receive bolts 38. These bolts first pass through a cylindrical block 39 preferably made of rubber because 'of its appropriate elastic properties, and on through the perpendicular part 40 of strut 31 with the head of bolts 38 contacting the outer face of blocks 39. When a nut 41 is tightened, the forward face of ends 37 of angle irons 35 will contact the rearward face of part 40 of strut 31. It will now be obvious that any upward movement of the forward end of fuselage 30 will result in the canting of angle irons 35 away from part 40, pulling bolts 38 rearwardly and compressing blocks 39. This relative movement is free to take place regardless of the position into which shaft 28 may be rocked. The forces thus stored in block 39 react to help restore fuselage 30 to its intermediate or neutral position shown in FIG. 1. While this construction is preferred, a simple pivotal arrangement could be used instead, if desired.

Fuselage 30 is yieldably suspended at its forward end from member 26 of bearing 20 by means of a pair of pull springs 50 attached respectively at one end to a clip 51 immovably secured to member 26, as by a bolt 52. The other ends of springs 50 are attached to fuselage 30, as shown in FIG. 4, and being in opposed relation, tend to guide that end of the fuselage into a central position.

As shown in FIGURE 8, the member 26 carries an integral tubular boss 26' which is cylindrical and internally screw-threaded for the reception of bolt 52. The boss 26' engages rotatably in the forward end of tubular shaft 28 to form a journal therefor and supporting the forward end of this shaft. Clip 51 is held rigidly against S the forward face of member 26 by bolt 52 which has screw-threaded engagement within the screw-threaded bore of boss 26', FIGURE 8.

Means for manually rocking shaft 28, and for raising and lowering the forward end of fuselage 30, comprise a control stick 60 pivotally supported in a clevis 61 secured to and resting on the top shaft 28 suitable for reciprocal movement of the stick longitudinally. By swinging the stick 60 laterally, shaft 28 will be rocked in its end bearings as will the fuselage to which it is connected by reason of strut 31.

Control stick 6% has an upright handle member 62, and a forwardly extending lower member 63, together constituting a bellcrank lever. The lower member 63 is pivotally connected at its forward end to a link 64 which in turn is pivoted to a lug secured to the under surface of the forward topwall of the fuselage, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 2. By moving handle member 62 forwardly from its position in FIG. 1, link 64 will pull the forward end of fuselage 30 downwardly stretching springs 50, and conversely, by moving handle member 62 rearwardly link 64 will be forced upwardly to lift the forward end of the fuselage. In both instances the resulting thrust will be applied to the frame 10 through the end bearings of shaft 28.

A seat or saddle may be mounted on stationary upit will be understood that the realistic movements of the fuselage are responsive to movements of the control stick, as is the steering, since the rocking of shaft 28 operates gears 23 and 29 to rotate post 21 for right or left turns, and in synchronism with like directional movements of the stick when banking the fuselage. 7

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows: 7

1. A toy vehicle comprising a frame adapted to be supported on a pair of rear wheels and a steering front wheel with a vertical steering post carried by said frame, a rocking member longitudinally mounted in said frame for oscillatory movement therein, an airplane fuselage mounted on said vehicle for pivotal movement relative thereto vertically and being yieldably connected to and V, guided at its forward end by the forward end of said stick is inclined laterally.

2. A toy vehicle comprising alframe adapted to be supported on a pair of rear wheels and'a steerable front wheel with a vertical steering post carried by said frame, a rocking member longitudinally mounted in said frame for oscillatory movement therein, an airplane fuselage yieldably mounted on the rear end of said rocking member'for pivotal movement relative thereto vertically and being yieldably suspended at its forward end from the forward end of said frame, a control stick mounted on said rocking member adapted to oscillate the same and the fuselage, said mounting for the stick including a transverse pivot about which said stick may be moved longitudinally of said fuselage, linkage means connecting said stick to the forward end of the fuselage, adapted to raise and lower the same when the stick is movedabout said pivot, a seat secured to said rocking member, and meshing gears carried respectively by the rocking member and the steering post operative to eifectithe steering movement of said post in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the stick is inclined laterally.

3. A toy vehicle comprising a rigid frame relatively narrow throughout its major length, and having a bifurcated rear part, a horizontal axle rotatably mounted transversely in said bifurcated part, a wheel at each end of said axle, one of which is secured thereto and the other of which is free to rotate independently thereon, said frame including an upright member rising from said rear part, and said frame having a bearing member at its forward end, a steering post vertically mounted in said bearing member and extending through and beyond the same, and having a bifurcated lower end, a steering wheel rotatably mounted in said lower end, a part of the bearing member extending upwardly and forwardly ofsaid steering post, a rockable shaft journaled at its forward end in said upwardly extending part, and at its rear end in said upright member, an airplane fuselage yieldably supported horizontally on the rear end of said shaft for pivotal movement relative thereto vertically and yieldably suspended forwardly from said bearing member, means for oscillating said shaft including a control stick pivotally supported on and above said shaft for reciprocal movement longitudinally thereof so as to rock the shaft in its end bearings when the Stick is moved lat r y,

4 said stick having an upright handle member and a forwardly extending lower member, jointly constituting a bellcrank lever, linkage connecting said lower member with the forward upper part of said fuselage operative to raise and lower that end of the fuselage about the said pivotal mounting thereof, and said shaft and steering post having meshing bevel gears adapted to effect the steering movement of sad post in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the stick is inclined laterally, and a seat adjustably secured to said shaft.

4. A toy vehicle comprising a wheeled frame including a front generally vertical steering column, a generall horizontal rocking member extending longitudinally of the frame and jonrnaled thereon near the forwardrend of the frame, a vehicle body portion resiliently connected with said frame and member and movable relative thereto in a generally vertical direction and rockable upon the longitudinal axis of said member, a control element connected with said rocking member and with the body portion to oscillate the former about its longitudinal axis and to raise and lower the latter, and driving connecting means for the rocking member and steering column so that rocking of the member imparts rotation to the steering column. 7

5. A toy'vehicle comprising a wheeled frame having front steering wheel means and propulsion means, a vehicle body portion upon said frame and rockable vertically relative to the frame and transversely thereof, resilient suspension means interconnecting said frame and vehicle body portion, a generally horizontal rock shaft extending longitudinally of said frame and body portion and secured to said frame and to the resilient suspension means for said body portion, lever means connected with said rock shaft and with said body portion to turn the former about its longitudinal axis and to elevate and lower the latter, and driving connecting means between the rock shaft and front steering wheel means to operate thelatter when the rock shaft is turned about its longitudh nal axis.

6. A toy vehicle comprising a wheeled frame including propulsion means and front steering wheel means, :1 vehicle body portion simulating the body of an aircraft, spring means interconnecting the frame and body portion near the forward end of the body portion so that such forw'ard end is resiliently suspended from the frame, a substantially horizontal longitudinal rock shaft journaled upon said frame for rotation, a transverse member secured to the rear end of the rock shaft to turn therewith, means pivotally connecting the'ends of the transverse member with said body portion near the rear end of the latter so that the body portion may swing vertically relative to said transverse member in response to a rise and fall of the forward end of the body portion, lever means secured to said rock shaft and connected with the body portion forwardly of the transverse member and operable to turn the rock shaft about its longitudinal axis and to elevate and lower the'forward end of the body portion, and driving connecting means between the rock shaft and front steering wheel means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

